Black Comet
by mermaidpotato
Summary: What if Bella had been the Vampire and Edward the poor, defenseless human who smelled too good? Random idea; hopefully it'll turn out well. Told from both Bella's and Edward's POV, at different times. Abandoned; up for adoption. Read A/Ns for details.
1. Hunting with Alice

_Hello, everyone. My name is Leah, and it's been a good two and a half years since I started writing this fic. I stopped a little over a year and a half ago when I got over Twilight. I left fanfiction at that point, because Twilight stories were the only ones I'd ever read or written. I'm back now, because I've delved into other fandoms, and I want to wash my hands of this before I dive into anything else. It's not bad writing; no. As I said in my profile, I consider this story and the other fic I wrote for Twilight my transition from amateur to writer. But it's Twilight. And... it's not that it was bad, it's just like... those shows you watched when you were younger, and you go back and you think 'Wow... that wasn't what I remembered.' But you love it anyways, because it was a part of shaping your childhood and all that._

_Recently and for various reasons, I found myself polishing up some of the grammar and other weird mistakes in this fic. I still want to rewrite the first few chapters to make Bella's personality constant throughout the story, but I don't have the time or interest. So instead, you get this. It's revised, and on top of that, it's got an extra chapter at the end that I wrote about a year ago as a last hoorah, but never published. There's more of my explantions there, if you want to read them, and information about what may or may not happen to this story now._

_Everything but the sentence structure of the story was left in-tact. And that includes the author's notes (save a few glaring spelling errors). They don't really say anything important, so you can skip them... the ones in bold, at least. The ones in italics are newer. If, for some reason, you do decide to read my old ramblings, then I'm sorry they sound so... middle schooler-y. I was a middle schooler at the time, so y'know. To be expected._

_So... enjoy. If you can. One way or another. I have a few more things to tweak, and then I can finally wash my hands of this thing. I'm off._

**A/N: I know I said I wasn't going to do any Bella and Edward Fanfics, but I got this idea stuck in my head and I just couldn't resist. I hope you enjoy, and I'd love it if you guys actually reviewed for this one! OMG, there's a new idea!**

**Aaaaanyways, hope you guys like my screwed-up idea. My mind works weird. **

**PS- Sorry, Edward fangirls, but I'm probably going to make Edward kind of unappealing in this. Enjoy the torture of my sick and twisted mind. Don't worry, there'll be plenty. MUA-HA-HA-HA-HA!**

**BPOV**

* * *

I sighed. Yet another night in a never-ending day called eternity; the first and last day of forever. When there was no sleep and no visible end, keeping track of time seemed pointless.

True, I was better off then when I was human and weak; now I was strong, beautiful, graceful, eternally seventeen… and alone. Dreadfully, painfully alone.

Sure, I hadn't minded as a human, but then, life had seemed so long. Like I had all the time in the world and four billion boys to choose from; one of them had to be mine.

And I was dead wrong.

I hadn't had any time at all, and no boy had ever taken interest in me while I had had a chance to love any of them back. Now they all did and it didn't matter a lick; now that I really did have all the time in the world, I was going to be alone for all of it. Such was my curse.

As Emmett had once put it, "Hell isn't so bad as long as you have an angel with you." I had no angel, and it was unbearable, grueling torture. Yet I would not undo it if I could. I had many accomplishments in my existence, and, though I was miserable, the world was better off because of it. The world gained from my suffering… what a masochistic view.

I sighed yet again and turned from the window to face the mirror. I was used to what I saw-pale skin, an over-the-top dress with a neckline that was just a little too low (picked out by Alice, of course), my long, wavy brown hair that never changed or grew even a millimeter, my full red lips; slightly disproportionate but still beautiful, the soft planes of my face-all of it was so unimpressive now, kept unchanged for a century by the power of eternity.

I sighed for the third time as I stared into my onyx eyes. I needed to hunt.

I swiveled once again in my chair and yelled unnecessarily-she could hear me even if I were to whisper, and was no doubt on her way from the moment I took my breath, if not before.

"Alice!" Before I was even done saying her short name, my short, pixie-like sister was in front of me, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Sure, Bella! Sounds like fun! Where to?"

I sighed deeply once again; Alice was so energetic, and that, coupled with her visions, never ceased to annoy me. Sure, I loved her to death, but sometimes I wished that that phrase was a little more literal…

Again, I sighed-I was doing too much of that-and began to consider her question. I got tired of grizzly-hunting with Emmett. You kind of get sick of it after a while.

"I don't really care," I finally replied, "But I'm not really in the mood for grizzly." I almost gagged at the thought of it.

She smiled wickedly, and I gulped. What had I gotten myself into?

"How's a little trip to Africa sound?"

I was surprised; it actually sounded like fun, unlike Alice and Rose's usual plans for shopping sprees and over-the-top parties. Honestly, though. It was pretty much perfect; Panthers for me, a chance to make a big event out of it for Alice, and it was supposed to be sunny the next few days anyways (And "supposed to" means that there was no doubt; Alice's visions of weather, for one, were always perfect), so there was no real point in staying close or coming back soon, anyways.

"Actually, it sounds like fun." I replied, surprise evident in my voice.

"Great!" She exclaimed, not letting my pessimism bog her down. She went on and on about the details, which I listened to partially as I let my mind wander. I caught every word; there was no need to pay an excessive amount of attention.

After a while of her babbling on about the details and obsessing over every little thing and every friend she had in or around Africa, who we would no doubt be going to visit, she stopped suddenly. She looked hesitant, switching her weight from one foot to the other nervously and awkwardly.

I had a pretty good idea of what she was going to ask.

"What?"

She hesitated a moment, then shoved the words out in a slurry. Her high-pitched, bell-like voice was strained. "Is it okay if Jasper comes along?"

I sighed; I had figured so much. Everyone knew that I didn't like being alone, but I didn't blame them. How could I blame them for something so out of their control? They were my family; it wasn't right to give them double-standards.

"Yeah, Alice; it's fine. Just as long as you two don't go all Emmett-and-Rose on me."

I rolled my eyes, she laughed. Now what Emmett and Rose did got me ticked. It wasn't that they were in love-I was fine with that. It was how they flaunted it; how they were so physical about it in front of everyone. Sometimes, I felt like they were rubbing it in my face, thought I knew that Rosalie, at least, was above that. Emmett, on the other hand, might be trying to get on my nerves, but it was hard to say.

"Don't worry; we're not like that and you know it." Her voice cut through my thoughts, and I sighed. Of course I knew; I lived with them.

Suddenly, another thought popped into my head, but before I could open my mouth, Alice cut me off. "Yes, Bella. Of course I'm packing bags. There's no way we're going all the way to Africa just to hunt! We're turning this into a trip!" She giggled and kissed me on the cheek, then was gone before I could protest.

I sighed for the millionth time and turned to grab my duffel bag off of it's hook on the wall. I'd better pack some decent clothes unless I wanted to be hunting in a cocktail dress. Hopefully, Alice hadn't thrown all my decent clothes away.

It was amazing how quickly a simple hunting trip could spiral so completely out of control. But such was life with Alice.

As I shoved most of the contents of my own personal closet-jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts, button-downs, and a couple turtlenecks and sweaters-into my duffle bag, one thought swirled around in my head, haunting me.

Why hadn't I just asked Esme?


	2. Hostage Situation

**A/N: OMG! I didn't think everyone would love it so much! In one day, with one chapter, this story got more reviews and hits (Almost 50) than my other one, which has been out for three or four days and has four chapters. I didn't think you guys would be so nice, so I rushed myself to finish the next chapter so I could have it up before I went to sleep. (I stayed up late to finish this, BTW.)**

**I hope you guys love it just as much as the first chapter, even though it's a bit rushed and a lot shorter than the first one. I promise you that the next one will be longer, and from Edward's POV! Let me hear all the fangirls scream! lol, okay, enough of that.**

**However, I have to do some painting tomorrow, so it may take me a while. I promise that if you guys keep reviewing, though, I'll get all excited and want to finish it faster. Otherwise I might just get bored and roam around the site for a while. I know what I'm going to do for the next two chapters, and if anyone has a major plotline, then I'd love to hear it. If not, I have an idea (I'm not stupid enough to start without one), but as always, I wanna hear from you guys!**

**Okay, sorry the A/N was so long, but I had TONS to say.**

**PS- I have people reading this in Mexico, the UK, Costa Rica, Canada, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, and lots of other cool places! It's really exciting to think that people are reading and commenting on my work so far away! Again, I'd love to hear from you people! That would be even more exciting! (Not that I don't love you Americans; I'm one, too.)**

**PSS- Thanks to smoochynose, Tawny101, and Bianca Bubbles -Flarepelt- (Who is one of my BFFS!) for being my very first ever reviewers. I love yas!**

**BPOV**

* * *

I watched yet another panther fall to the ground, lifeless and pale under the thick black fur that covered it.

I wiped the few stray drops of blood from my mouth, sure that my eyes were liquid butterscotch by that point. That was my fifth panther, and even as thirsty as I had been at the beginning, after all that blood, surrounded by unappealing animals, the burning thirst was merely an annoying tingle in the back of my throat now.

I was about to run off to go find Alice, but again, she beaten me to it. Her smiling eyes were the same color that I imagined mine were, but she hadn't been as thirsty as I was originally, so it was no big surprise.

Jasper arrived mere milliseconds later, his eyes unnecessarily light, even for someone with his self control issues. Still, I didn't enjoy watching him suffer, and I especially didn't like seeing innocent humans die because of what we were, so if it helped him, then there was no way on earth I was going to question that.

He began to reach for Alice's hand, an almost subconscious gesture, then stopped abruptly and eyed me warily, probably also tasting my emotions. I shrugged, so he moved his hand the rest of the inconsequentially small distance.

Did they really think that I was that jealous? That selfish? I was happy for them; so very, very happy that they had what I had to spend eternity without. I knew what it was like to spend a small piece of eternity without it; I would never, not in a million eternities, curse my own family with the same sentence that I had been given. Why did they think that I would?

Alice eyed their intertwined hands with interest, then shrugged. She looked up to me with a smile. "All done. Let's go shopping!"

I groaned as Alice grabbed my wrist and pulled me along in a northeastern direction. The direction of Egypt. I didn't bother resisting; Alice would get me to go eventually, as I had learned the hard way.

Jasper tried to make me a bit more excited, but it didn't do much good. He knew that I liked having my mind to myself, so he always held back, which only ever served to tick me off. I mean, if he's going to invade my head, at least get something out of it! What's the point of invading my privacy if you're not really going to do anything?

_**xxx**_

I was dragged through the open market, which wouldn't have been so bad if I could look at books and music and the cute little Egyptian trinkets like I wanted. Of course, Alice was only interested in looking at jewelry-which wasn't really so bad- and clothes, which was absolutely awful. My own personal Hell, right smack dab in the middle of heaven. Too bad a little pixie was watching the gate.

Sadly, it was a cloudy and rainy day, which meant that she could drag me from store to store with no limitations, buying everything in sight from our stock market money. I was surprised we hadn't been investigated by the police for having insider information yet, even moving as often as we did.

But back to my torture. Alice had made me try on more clothes than the entire mall of America had-trust me on this one; I've been there-and we bought a great many of them. As always, I seemed to be her main focus. I tried on pretty much everything we (read: she) saw that fit and could be deemed "stylish" by Alice, while both of my captors tried on a much more reasonable amount, though they bought nearly all of what they tried on. She thought I needed a "wardrobe makeover," (and didn't I always?) but couldn't pass up the occasional cute dress or hat that she saw, or a few jackets and things of the like that would be "perfect for Jasper." He always complied with Alice's directions faithfully, making sure to avoid the other customers and employees as often as possible, which I was used to.

I managed to slip away every now and then to buy a book you could only find in Egypt or an Arabic CD, but Alice always found me before I could get far.

As the day came to a close, we visited some of her old friends-mostly human with the occasional vampire, the majority of whom were loners that took some tracking down.

The remainder of the week passed in a similar fashion, spare the hunting. We spent each day in a different location-namely, wherever it was cloudy-and then, finally, we were on our way home, after one last small hunting trip while there were still panthers and dessert predators around. Exotic animals had the best-tasting blood, in my opinion. It still didn't taste a thing like human blood, but it was good enough.

"It's really too bad; it ended too quickly. We have got to do this again sometime." Alice drabbled on as she began to steer the Yacht out of the harbor. Back to Canada, at long last. Even though days for me normally seem like seconds, it felt like this day would never come.

"Never again." I growled through clenched teeth. And as usual, Jasper instinctively took a defensive position in front of Alice, who just laughed. He sent a full wave of calm through me. For once, not just an annoying little flicker. This day was showing promise. Going back to my family and the closest thing I had to a home, and Jasper not just messing with my head, but truly using his powers for good.

"Now why don't you do that more often?" I chuckled as the words came out; mostly at his confused expression. "As I've told you again and again, if you're going to interrupt the sacred confines of my head, at least get something out of it. Gosh."

Jasper looked at me quizzically, like he could somehow see inside my head to my hidden thoughts from the effort. It was going to take a lot more than that, I can tell you. "Bella Cullen, you are one strange girl." He finally said, still staring at me.

At these words, all humor disappeared from me; my mind, my face, my eyes. As if I didn't think those same words every day of my eternally painful existence, and wonder what was wrong with me. Why couldn't I find my match? Why was there no one out there who wanted me as more than a friend? And most importantly, why was I still just average, even as a vampire?

Rose had the beauty, Carlisle had the genius, Emmett had the strength, Alice and Jasper were both special in ways that no one on earth had or would ever dare question, and Esme had the most loving heart on earth and family of a wonderful, loving husband and four of the most amazing kids anyone could ever ask for with which to exercise it. But then there came the same question as always; what about me?

Though being a vampire had changed nearly everything about me for the better, there was still one thing that would never change. I was nothing. And I never would be. Of course I was strange; I was a nothing, nothings would always be strange because _everyone_ was supposed to have _something_. But not me. I was special, and not in a good way. In a way that made everyone want to just be my friend, and nothing more. Ever.

Story of my existence.


	3. Novelty

**A/N: Guess what, fangirlies! Edward chapter time!**

**I was kinda dissapointed, because I stayed up late last night typing this one up, but I hadn't gotten more than one or two hits, and absolutely no reviews. So I didn't post it last night, **_**even though**_** I stayed up late! You guys need to learn to be grateful!**

**Anyways, if nobody saw in the last one, I'm still open to plot suggestions, even though I know for the most part what I'm going to do... But still, people sometimes have awesome ideas (That means you, Bianca. Yes, I'm talking about you. Don't even try to deny it; we both know who'll win in an argument)!**

**Well, um... yeah, that's it. Pleeeease review! It may even get y'all another chapter today if I get enough! Before midnight for once; I promise! Let's just go for... ten reviews. It's not all that hard, people. Just hit the little button at the bottom, and tell me how much you love it or hate it or how well you think I'm portraying the characters, or an idea for the plot, or... SOMETHING! Please.**

**Okay, my rambling is done, I guess. Enjoy, and I promise to write shorter author's notes from now on. Seriously.**

**EPOV**

* * *

Of course, everyone was talking about the new kids. They hadn't even shown up yet, and everyone knew their names. It was all so old; it felt like watching reruns on TV. Then again, I didn't really watch much of it, so that was rare, but I imagined that this was about the same feeling. This was the exact same routine as when I was new freshman year. I wasn't technically even new, by most states' standards. I came to a new school at the beginning of the first year, when everyone was new.

But in Forks, no one is ever really new unless they come from out of state. Like when I came in from Illinois. Everyone went to preschool together, and most of the time, the same was true of their grandparents. It was the smallest of small towns, and also the wettest little place in all of Continental US, or so I figured.

So, in a lot of ways, it was exactly the same as when I had come. Only one small difference remained; it was five times worse. Wait, I take that back. It was twenty times worse. With five times as many kids, twice the parentage, and very little actual knowledge about the odd family, people were bound to talk. And they did. To me, it felt like that was all they did.

I sighed out of resignation and turned to listen to the conversation Ben, my best friend, was having with Mike. Mike was okay, but a bit of a jerk sometimes. I wasn't sure why, but I just didn't like him much in general, and I never really had. Maybe it had something to do with Jessica Stanley's oh-so obvious obsession with him. Ugh.

"So, I hear that their dad's some kind of doctor. This should be interesting." Mike sneered.

"Aw, you're just jealous of a little competition. Afraid one of them will take away your little not-so-secret admirer?" Ben laughed. Mike had been clueless until he tried to ask Lauren-gag-out, and she not-so-gently clued him in that her best friend, Jessica of course, had a crush on him, and that he was a "Blind, dirty, rotten, stinking idiot who is definitely not good enough for someone as good as Jessica" or something along those lines. I'm guessing it had a lot more profanity in it, but I wasn't around when it happened, and I heard about it through Ben, who edits. I am definitely thankful for that, because I hear enough of what comes out of her dirty mouth from the brunt end.

Mike turned red at his words, and quickly added "Let's hope so. Nice as she is, I'd pay to get her off my back. She's just not my type." He paused a second, then added in a low voice, "Seriously, though. I hear they're all _adopted_-all five. Only two of them are actually related. I think the wife can't have kids or something."

This set me off the edge. I had no clue why, but it did. "Listen to yourselves! You sound like Jessica and Lauren! Do you really have nothing better to do than obsess over the trivial details of some family you haven't even met yet?"

They were both silent for a few minutes, no doubt in shock. I didn't loose my temper much-I had gone through way too much pain and suffering to get mad at every little thing, and they knew it.

Mike was the one to break the small bubble of partial silence (after all, we were three individuals in a very loud cafeteria). "Can we both be Lauren? I don't want either one of us to have a crush on me." They both laughed, and usually I would've joined right along, but today, I was really ticked for some reason.

So I gave them both the best evil glare I could and stormed away, angrily dumping my tray of half-finished food on my way out.

In mere seconds, I heard Ben's running to catch up to me; I was twice as fast as him.

"Hey, come on. You know he's just joking. Mike's like that. What's wrong, anyways?" He asked, out of breath and in a strained voice, but trying his best to hide it. It wasn't working very well, and I normally would've made fun of him for it, but I was too angry for that today.

"I don't know." I replied simply, still angry at everyone and everything for no apparent reason. We both walked in silence for a while, to nowhere in particular.

It wasn't until we had reached my car that I realized why it was so upsetting, When I was new, people had said the same kind of things about me.

I almost doubled over as I remembered some of the more snide remarks and rumors that Lauren had imagined up and spread, all flung at me in one very angry conversation. I still wonder how she can live with her own filthy, corrupt, evil self.

"_So, you're mom's a prostitute, right?" She had asked, a look of overdone innocence and curiosity on her face, an obvious mask for some sort of hidden agenda._

"_What?" I had never heard something so preposterous, but yet here was this girl, asking it so casually, as if she really believed that it was possible._

"_Your mom helps people have babies, right?" How could one stretch true facts so far and yet still adhere to them, in a sense? This Lauren girl was an evil genius. Did she spend every waking second of her life making other's miserable?_

"_Exactly, she's a midwife!" She acted as if she had no idea what that was._

"_Well, then where's your dad?"_

"_He died of Spanish Influenza."_

"…_Which is why she got to keep you, right?"_

"_My parents were married long before I was born."_

"_So they were both divorced when she had you? That doesn't help your case much."_

_By this point, I was absolutely sure that I was going to strangle this hideous blond girl. How could one push their case so far when they had obviously lost? She _must_ have been the rumor-starter._

"_Okay, let me make this clear so that even a donkey can understand… Actually, on second thought, let me make this so simple that even _you_ could understand. My parents married each other in 1985. That means that my mom married my dad and my dad married my mom. At the same time, yes. Still with me? Two years later-still married-they slept together in a such a way that I was conceived. Need details?"_

_Her face turned blood red at this, so I imagined that my words were taking their effect and continued._

"_Then, I was born on June 20, 1987. My parents were still married to each other, and it stayed that way until I was nine, when my dad caught ill and died. At which point, they were still married. Understand, or must I literally spell it out for you?"_

Despite my snide words, the rumors really hurt, like pins being shoved into my heart. And over and over, I heard the same questions and had to give the same answers, though no one was ever as persistent as Lauren had been; they weren't evil, just the poor, innocent victims of rumors. Well, not the victims, exactly, but they didn't feel the undying need to make my life miserable.

And then, as I remembered those first few dreadful weeks, I made a vow to myself, and to the Cullens. I would help to dispel the rumors, and I would start by scaring them out of everyone before they showed up. So that they didn't have to arrive to a sea of rumors like I had. And then, once they were here, I would be here for support, and to help eradicate the rumors altogether.

I would be there as the only other new kid in all of Forks; the only other kid who could really relate to their pain. But not only that, I would be there for them always as the Cullens' very first friend in all of Forks. And I would make sure of that.


	4. The Inevitable Change

**A/N: Wow! I can't believe how many people read the last two chapters and gave me feedback on them! So I made good on my promise. I'm happy. Okay, the next chapter is going to have the first Edward and Bella action! So if you want it faster, review. I'll TRY to have it out before midnight tomorrow, but I don't know. I have a ton of crap to do... We'll see! **

**Okay, the main reason that this may sound confusing is** **because sekhmetkitty002 said that Bella seemed a bit OOC. And I agree completely. So I'm trying to redefine her character to make her more Bella-like without becoming a contradiction. Eternity is bound to change some things, but apparantly, Bella's confusing and senseless thought pattern is not one of them.**

**Also, some people were wondering if Edward could read minds. OF COURSE NOT! I'm not saying you're stupid, I'm just saying that vampire's powers (except for Alice and Bella, whose powers were there, in a weaker form, even in humanity) come from their traits as a human. They didn't have them as a human, but gain them with their immortality, amongst other things. Also, Bella and the rest of the Cullens think that she isn't gifted. Why? Because Edward isn't there, and Jasper and Alice's powers still work on her. So they have no idea. Just clearing things up.**

**PS- Sorry this is so long! I promised that this A/N be shorter, but I got so many questions and comments in the reviews that I wanted to answer them all. Thank you, reviewers and readers, especially babyDxxx, for giving me his opinion on what the plot should be. GRACIAS!**

**BPOV**

* * *

I sighed as my first grizzly fell down to the ground, limp and lifeless. I wrinkled my nose at the taste; hopefully Washington would have better tasting prey than Canada.

I usually wouldn't go hunting again so soon; I was good at the life I had chosen, and could usually wait until my eyes turned pitch black before the thirst became unbearable, but we were moving to a new city, and I couldn't afford to take chances. I realized that it was for the best, but sometimes I wondered why we even bothered anymore. We had each other, and we weren't killing off humans; what was so appealing about civilization?

I sighed almost comically; I really did like being alone. No having to pretend that I was someone I wasn't or having to pretend that I was bugged by my immortality. It was true, I didn't like the sense of being completely alone, but I never really felt alone when I was alone.

I just felt at peace; like I was where I was supposed to be. Maybe not having a romantic interest was for the better; it just complicated life and got in the way of hobbies. I wasn't sure why it bothered me so much. I just always felt so awkward around people, even when they weren't really people.

And with Jasper always meddling with my emotions and Alice seeing my every move before I make it and trying to make me happy when all I really wanted was a little space, I was never alone unless I was miles away.

It really had been too long; I was almost starting to believe the show I put on… It was hard to explain my emotions sometimes. Which is why I liked to be alone; I could try, even if I failed miserably. And here goes the best of what I came up with that fateful hunting trip.

I really didn't mind being alone all that much; I mean, it did bug me a little; the thought that I wouldn't have anyone to hug or love for the rest of eternity. Eternity could be boring, and I wished I had someone to spend it with, but I didn't really know what love felt like. As long as that stayed true, I could live without it.

As for the way I acted around my family, Jasper made a big deal out of my minor emotions, and after a while, they all started making a big deal out of it. That was what annoyed me, not the truth of being alone. It was kind of peaceful, actually.

Oh, what a mess my emotions made. If only I had as much control over them as I did over my thirst.

I tried to think of the last time I had been truly alone, and concluded that it must have been at least a year. Even when Esme came with me, which I loved for more the time to straighten out my thoughts, she and I would still talk whenever we passed. I just didn't get the same feeling of being alone.

Which is why Esme had insisted that I go in the morning, before the rest of the family went hunting that afternoon. I owe her my sanity for that one; I swear, sometimes she knows me better than I do.

I faintly smelled a second bear, and let my instincts take over. About three or four should be enough; my eyes were only a dark caramel color when I had left. It had been about four days since I had gotten back from the little trip with Jasper and Alice, and I wasn't too thirsty; again, this was only a failsafe trip, after all.

The grizzly was in my range of sight within seconds; I loved being able to just flat-out run and not have to hold back, which wasn't a chance that presented itself often. I needed to go hunting more.

I straightened up and crept along the shadows the trees presented, using the early-morning angle of the sun to my best advantage. I was only a half-dozen yards away by the time it spotted me, so I ran at full-speed and lunged. It struggled and struck at me with almost comical slashes, it's supposedly sharp claws running right over my ice-cold, rock-hard skin like feathers, not leaving even the faintest, most microscopic scratch or dent.

I drove my teeth into it's neck, hearing the faint crush of bone. I drank from it until it stopped struggling altogether, all will and consciousness lost. The usually rancid taste was now even worse, for the fact that I wasn't thirsty. Another reason I never went hunting again this soon after a trip.

I stood up, inhaling deeply. A scent was carried on the wind that smelled delicious and floral… My throat caught on fire and I instantly exhaled my breath, not taking a single breath as I sped away in the opposite direction.

The poor soul… they had come so close to death that it was only seconds away… or, rather, death had come so close to them. And yet, they were none the wiser and whatever pointless activity had brought them this far into the Canadian wilderness was uninterrupted.

Luckily for him, I was alone. Carlisle and I were the only ones who would have been able to resist such a delicious scent on the hunt, even miles away as it was.

After I had run for three or four miles, I took a cautious whiff of the air. Clean. I stopped dead, and decided that I had had enough blood. The scent had flared up the burning thirst, and I was now thirstier than ever, which I was sure to feel again tomorrow, on my "first day" at Forks High School, but I didn't want to take the risk, so I stared at the shadows for a few minutes, then took off running northeast, towards where my temporary home was, and where Esme was surely making my edgy family wait for my return. Maybe it was good I was coming home; I didn't want Alice on my case for making Jasper wait. Especially considering that my punishment would no doubt include shopping and makeovers.

And on the way home, I thought about the impossible tedium that was sure to come. Sure; thanks to English, I would finally have an excuse to read Shakespeare instead of going shopping with Alice, even though I already had it memorized, but the thought of going through high school again was dreadful nonetheless. Sadly, this wasn't even my first trip to Forks. I had already been through Senior year once, though I doubted that the second half of the Junior year curriculum would hold any surprises for someone with three English majors and a Bachelor's degree in music instruction, just because even the classics get boring from time to time. And of course, with that came four rounds of college-level math, science, and all the other required courses.

I smiled, wondering what kind of excuse Carlisle would have this time for our oh-so perfect grades. Advanced placement school? Child geniuses? Oh, the possibilities.

The thought of Carlisle made me speed up, eager to get home for some odd reason. Hmm… from how far away did Jasper's powers work again?


	5. Breaking Vows?

**A/N: I was surprised; I always get a lot of hype for one chapter, then almost no one looks at the next. ALWAYS... maybe I should stop putting them up at midnight, but you guys just get me so excited and I don't want to disappoint you, then... poof, nobody cares. My life is so sad.**

**Anyways, I'm thinking about taking a little break from this story to work on Always Second, and another project that Bubbles and I are working on. So... yeah. Sorry, but I have other stuff to do. Enjoy, and I promise that the next chapter will be extra long. **

**EPOV**

* * *

I hesitated by the edge of the curb; the silver Volvo just felt so intimidating, especially in comparison to all the beat-up old antiques around it; my car included. I watched the four doors all crack open simultaneously, five distinctly different figures stepping out of the small car, and felt my breath leave me in one short gust. I forced myself to take another breath, ragged and irregular as it was, to stable myself.

There were only three uniting factors amongst them all; their porcelain pale skin, their topaz-colored eyes, and the almost identical grimace that they all wore.

I tried to commit their faces to memory, looking at each one in turn. The first one I saw was gorgeous. They all were, but this one especially. She had long, striking blond hair that had a slight wave to it, but in a quite obviously purposeful fashion, and a strikingly beautiful face with high cheekbones and an angular theme about her entire façade. She was unimaginably skinny and any supermodel would envy her.

Next to her, standing almost protectively around her, was a very tall, burly guy. He looked like he had to be a weightlifter or something like it, and had the intimidation factor to go with it. He had a very defined face and short black hair, slightly longer than a buzz-cut. He was the kind of guy I usually tried to stay away from out of fear, but it was still possible he was nice. Don't judge a book by it's cover and all that.

Standing off to the side was a pair-boy and a girl-that somehow begged to be noted together. The girl was cute in a slightly unusual and distinctly pixie-like manner, with a layered brown pixie-cut that reached down to her chin at some points, and extremely short. Especially compared to the boy whose hand was interlaced with hers and swinging absent-mindedly between them, who had to be at least half a foot taller than her. He had pale blond hair, almost the same color as the other blonde's, but lighter still. It was about as far from dirty blond as was possible, but not quite platinum. His face was elegant, and set slightly more mature than the other's, though I imagined that he was about the same age. Also, his eyes were even lighter than everyone else's; pure, filtered butterscotch syrup. It was almost the same shade as his hair, only with a tad bit more orange tint to it.

And then, off to the back, was the face that truly took my breath away. Her features were flawless; those of an angel. She wasn't gorgeous like a super-model, but she was much more beautiful in her own way. She looked so… exotic, her wavy chocolate brown hair framing her soft features perfectly. Her eyes were a few shades darker than the rest, much closer to topaz or caramel than butterscotch. She was staring absent-mindedly off into space with those beautiful, sparkling topaz eyes. I focused all of my consciousness on her features and her gorgeous face, as if the effort would help me memorize it.

After a few minutes, I managed to tear myself away from her face to stare at the bystanders. They were all keeping their distance, gossiping and comparing notes off on the sidelines. The few who passed close by the group appeared to feel slightly ill at ease.

Every part of me was intimidated and screaming to walk away, save one small, disjointed fragment, which enticed me to walk forward. The larger portion was screaming to keep my distance and just forget about the promise; they and the rest of the school would never have a clue.

But I fought it. I would never, ever, in a million years break a promise. Especially when they seemed to be attracting negative attention so quickly.

I took another deep breath and stepped through the invisible walls that seemed to be forming around them, feeling quite satisfied. Finding that the first step was the hardest, I took another step forward, then another, until I was standing in front of the pixie-like girl and the boy she was holding hands with. I reached out my hand and said "Hello, I'm Edward. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

She looked at my hand and reached out carefully to take it, then gave it a ginger shake, as if I was breakable. "Alice." she replied simply, dropping my hand quickly. Her voice was beautiful, as if she was singing even though she was merely talking. She then looked over at the boy next to her, who was stiff and very uncomfortable. Maybe he was shy. "Excuse me, but Jasper and I really should be going." She smiled quickly, then turned and left. Her fluid goodbye left me speechless. And there was something odd about the way she said "Jasper and I." Almost as if she was declaring them as an official unit. Everything about the way they regarded each other implied something that shouldn't be.

Then, a few seconds later, the beautiful girl in the back froze abruptly, and I saw her full lips move slightly and with mind-numbing speed, but I didn't hear them make a sound. Then she ran off, almost so fast that I couldn't see her move. This aroused a roar of murmurs from the crowd, and the remaining blond girl smiled stiffly, and her words, though just as amazing and fluid as the first girl's, were stressed and strained. "Excuse us, Edward, but we need to see what's wrong with Bella."

And she and the other boy rushed off, looking very frustrated as they did so. They ran off in the direction that Bella had and left me all alone in the middle of an artificial void of life, but I somehow felt warm. Not physically so, because physically, I was freezing cold and slightly wet from the damp, foggy air. This ran deeper than that, escaping my attempts to pin it down.

I turned around and headed off towards my first class, still feeling the odd warmth deep inside of me. "Bella…" I mouthed the name to myself, and smiled. It was such a pretty name.

As I entered my math class, I repeated the promise to myself; I _would_ become friends with the Cullens. I had no doubt about that… especially Bella. Whatever was wrong with her, I would be kind to her, and I _would_ be a friend to this Bella. This absolutely beautiful, fluid one called Bella, whom I was sure was just as amazing behind the face.

She had to be; I just knew it inside. Out of all the warring emotions and conflicting ideas inside of me, there is one thing that my entire being agreed upon. I would talk to this Bella; I had to. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't, because I had to know just who the gorgeous woman was behind the gorgeous face.


	6. Born Stubborn

**A/N: Gosh, you people wouldn't leave me alone! I said A SHORT BREAK and I got a couple of reviews begging me to continue. Anyways, I'm seriously going to be taking a SHORT BREAK to work on Always Second, which I personally actually like better than this one, but whatever.**

**PS- I would like to publicly apologize to babyDxxx. Who, despite the insistings of my previous author's note, is a girl, as she politely informed me. See, when you're nice, people admit that they're wrong. So be nice, and stop asking me to continue. Please. I'll get back to it in a week or so. In the meantime, please enjoy my other fic, which has much longer chapters and is all around better than this story (That sentence doesn't sound right, but... I can't figure out how to fix it. XD). See y'all later.**

**BPOV**

* * *

I was panting when I finally stopped in front of our new house. It smelled unfamiliar and the air felt musky and damp, but I could sense Esme inside, trying to fix that.

Finally, I had fresh air in my lungs. Well, fresh wasn't the right word for it, but it was devoid of any trace of human blood at all. Especially _his_. Edward, I think he said his name was. I had felt kind of sorry for him at first; he didn't look like he really wanted to say hi to us, but something had propelled him to. A dare, maybe?

I shook my head; I didn't care anymore. Whoever this boy was, I would never find out. Because I refused to take his life just because he smelled so delicious. Just because he happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time. My mom had always said I was stubborn, and I would put that stubbornness to good use. Once I made up my mind about something, I was dead set against any other outcome.

But… would that be enough? Even I had trouble imagining humans any more delicious than they had been made; could I resist this human's tantalizing blood on sheer willpower alone? Probably not. But I would try anyways.

I would just imagine that he were any other human; he wouldn't affect my newest chance at a half-normal life…

I sighed; who was I kidding? I didn't want a normal life, nor had I ever had one. Even as a human, I had been remarkably different in that I was exceptionally unremarkable. I hadn't fit. I just couldn't find my niche. And maybe I never would; maybe I would just be an outcast for eternity. I could live (exist) with that. I had carved myself out a niche very forcefully, and I was content to stay there… off in the corner, right smack dab in the middle of Alice's line of vision.

Rosalie and Emmett showed up a few minutes after I had; no doubt slowed down by interested human eyes. I cursed at myself; I was stupid… still, I suppose it was better than killing _him_. That would have been even more conspicuous.

Rose was the first to speak up. "Bells, you okay? You shot out of there even faster than when you race Emmett. What on earth were you thinking?"

I knew that she was just concerned for our family and the possibility of having to move away on the first day, but I her words hurt me. Why? Because I had been thinking the exact same thing, and beating myself up for it. So my reply was a tad bit on the aggravated side. "Gosh, Rose. I don't really know. It was kind of hard to think when every fiber of my being was focused on not killing that frail human boy!"

Emmett was the first to understand my harsh words, and he sighed wistfully with something a little to close to a smirk on his face, thinking of some memory from long ago. "Ah, so you've found one, huh? I'm surprised; Carlisle wasn't kidding about your self-control." He laughed, then sighed contentedly. "I remember finding mine that day in Spain…"

I was eternally grateful that I couldn't see inside of his head, because he was no doubt reliving that horrible day. I slapped him as hard as I could, and he reeled. Rosalie, for once, didn't take his side, because she was just as disgusted as I was. "Emmett, she's right! How can you think about that so casually? How can you… no, how _**dare**_ you still enjoy that? I swear, you are sick." She scoffed, and he just laughed in return.

"Baby, you would know." He pulled her closer, and I could see the anger and disgust literally vanish from her face. I sighed; I could see where this was going.

"You two can either take that inside or go back to school and pick up afterwards; I need to talk to Carlisle." I sighed, and wished that I hadn't run off without my Volvo. "Um… Rose, can I…" I paused for a second, then shook my head. "Never mind, I'll take the Austin."

I didn't look back as I walked to the garage; I had a feeling that they weren't going back to school today. At least not for a while. They could always claim that they were "helping me" to the others, and I would let them. No need to stir up problems.

After a while, I could feel a long-buried human reflex trying to push tears to the surface, but there were none. I couldn't figure out why; it was just one of those times when you start to cry, and you have no idea why. There was just one problem; I couldn't.

I got tired with my human pace, and full-out ran to grab the keys, ran to the car, quickly opened the door, stormed in, and slammed it shut.

I turned the key and threw it into reverse; effortlessly backing out of the driveway and finding my way down the old path, despite not being around it for more than half a century. The roads were unfamiliar, but old, and I found my way easily to the hospital, trying to keep my mind from wandering on the way. And failing miserably.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was somehow remotely my fault. It seemed like everything always was, indirectly, though the rest of my family would fervently deny it. I was just a trouble magnet, and always had been. The only thing that had changed was the fact that I could now fight it once it arrived.

Was that what it was, though? Just my old tendency to channel trouble, and more often than not, disaster? It seemed likely enough; there were about five billion different ways that this could go wrong, and only about five that it could go right. I could have counted the exact numbers, but I wasn't bored enough… yet.

I sighed; no matter what happened, the result would be pain on my part, though whether mental or physical and in what form it would come was yet to be determined. I could hide in the house, but people would get suspicious of my sudden disappearance. People had to have noticed that there were five Cullens had gotten out of the car just mere minutes ago. Besides, I was already on the rosters. And even if they didn't, I would get tired of hiding eventually, and get bored of the house and it's limited entertainment options. I had already read every book in the house at least twice, even Carlisle's thick medical encyclopedias. Even though I had a photographic memory, there was just something charming about holding weathered pages in your hand, bound by a cover with a picture on the front that could mean a million different things, and flipping through the pages, which sent the scent of paper and ink wafting up to my super-sensitive nose. Beats remembering the words any day. Which is why, from time to time, I would try to forget the ending or the words to a particularly good book, just so I could be surprised. It never worked very well, but it was fun to try.

Just as I was beginning to think about the book I wanted to read next, the options floating through my head and my mind finally starting to drift away from the little incident in the parking lot, it arrived. Up on the left, the hospital. It shot up like a bullet, and I slowed down to a pace that was just about ten miles above the speed limit to turn into the parking lot, and slipped into a spot that was reserved for "employees only." It was Carlisle's car, after all.

And so I walked into the main lobby, where a college-age boy sat at the desk, moving the mouse and staring intently at the screen. I could hear very quiet artificial gunshot noises, which he probably thought were too quiet for anyone to hear. Playing video games during the slow hours. I sighed; how typical.

I chuckled as I walked to the desk at a human pace; that was probably the only reason he was working here instead of at McDonald's. To play video games.

I tried to channel some of my old klutziness as I walked, attempting to make more noise so I wouldn't startle him. Apparently, it didn't work because when I smiled and replied, "Hello there," he jumped.

"Wha? Whozzit? Who's there?" I heard something crash to the floor, and it was hard not to burst out laughing. Of course, a giggle escaped, but I managed to keep my composure. As soon as he looked up, I saw the expected reaction.

Eyes widened, he quickly turned around and tried to fix whatever had fallen and straighten up, then turned around and took a pose that I assume was supposed to look seductive or flirtatious or something like that. "What can I do for you?" He asked, leaning just a little bit further across the desk than necessary. I couldn't help myself; I giggled.

Wrong move. He smiled, and I looked up at the clock as if I was on a schedule. A little lie wouldn't hurt anything; who cared if the rest of Forks thought I was dating? Especially if it would keep them away from me.

"Is Dr. Carlisle in? I'm his daughter and need to speak to him. Right away; my boyfriend's waiting on me." I smiled shyly, trying to make it look like I was sorry. I wasn't; he was far from appealing, even by human standards, and he seemed like a bit of a flirt, which I had hated even as a human.

"Oh." He said simply, not bothering to hide his disappointment. He clicked a few keys, then looked up at me with a half-smile. "He should be ready; no patients at the moment. It's been a slow week."

"Thank God for that." I replied, and walked off down the hall where I knew his office was.

I turned into the office that was unmarked, obviously Carlisle's, because we had just moved in today. I opened the door, and when I looked in, he was sifting through papers. I still half-suspect that he was just trying to look busy.

I stood in the doorframe for longer than necessary, trying to collect my thoughts. "Um… hey." I finally decided on, a little disappointed in myself.

Carlisle looked up, though he undoubtedly already knew who I was, and then nodded his greeting before looking back down. It was during school hours; he knew that I couldn't be "just visiting." It had to be something important. And most likely bad.

"Um… so, something… interesting happened at school today." I finally got around to saying, and Carlisle dropped the act, looking up at me.

"Bella, honey, please just spit it out. The suspense is killing me." He sighed, and I smiled meekly.

"Well… I… there's this boy named Edward…" Carlisle looked at me worriedly, shuffling through his papers, looking for something in particular. He seemed to find what he was looking for, because he stared at the paper intensely, and I saw his eyes scan it; reading and re-reading it repeatedly.

"You remember when Emmett was on the errand for Rosalie, and he… kind of… found someone?" Carlisle looked up at me with horror on his face, no doubt understanding where my words were leading. "I found one."


	7. False Eternity

**A/N: Hey! I'm back! I just wanted to write some of this last night, so I finished this and started on the next chapter. So yes, I have part of the next chap already. Also, this one is reeeeeeally short. I know; it's a filler for the most part, but... well, the end is important, but the end in itself is a filler **_(I apologize, because I have no _clue_ what I meant here…)_**.**

**Oh, and thanks for all of the reviews; most of them made me laugh, though that probably wasn't the intention. XD Oh well. Next chap from Bella's POV, and the more reviews, the sooner it will come (but my schedule is still crazy).**

**EPOV**

* * *

I waited all day, keeping an eye out for her, but, though I saw Alice and Jasper, and even the blonde model (or she might as well be) and the big guy later in the day, I never again saw Bella.

I waited days and days, but even after the week was over, I still never saw her gorgeous face.

The school fell into the pattern that felt normal after the first few days; the Cullens, who were slightly creepy and scary in a way no one fully understood, were left alone, and school went back to normal. With, of course, new rumors being made about them daily. I did my best to stop them, but some things were beyond my control. Especially with my distraction of trying to make friends with them. It didn't work very well, but I was trying.

I could see in their faces that they thought I was clingy and annoying, but I figured that if they knew I didn't just want to be their family friend because they were gorgeous and I didn't care about their social status, they would warm up to me eventually. However, eventually was a very long time.

They couldn't ignore me for all of eternity… could they?

"So, Mike. Did you hear what everyone's saying about the Cullens?" I suddenly heard, pulled back to reality by the familiar words.

"Stop making fun of the Cullens! They're just shy, is all! What's wrong with being different?" I shouted over the unknown voice, an almost instinctive reaction.

"See! All you ever respond to is the Cullens! You spend all your free time around them, and you're always lost in thought! Probably thinking about them! Edward, what on earth is wrong with you? Get a life; can't you see that they're weirdoes who think that they're too good for all of us? Why do you even care about them?"

Apparently, the voice was coming from Ben. I had apparently missed a very eventful conversation. As he rambled on, my thoughts drifted back to the Cullens, and Bella's beautiful face, which I very well might have imagined. I would have long since given up hope, was her name not on my Biology class roster. That was all I had to cling to; the simple name, Bella Cullen, and the face that seemed ingrained into my head.

Suddenly, something grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently. "Listen to me!" Ben shouted, and I was snapped once again back to the cafeteria. The Bella-less cafeteria that no longer held any interest for me.

"I'm sorry, Ben! Gosh!" I shouted back, shaking his hands off my shoulders. "Listen, I'm just… out of it lately."

"Well, that much is obvious!" He shouted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen; would it help if we leave this place to somewhere Cullen-free?

No. It wouldn't. The only thing that would cure me of my out-of-it attitude was Bella. I was honest enough to admit that. But still, I could try to pretend it never happened for Ben. Maybe if I knew for sure that she wasn't coming back, it would be easier. But I didn't, and part of me still clung to the possibility that she would, and couldn't get over it.

"Um… I guess." I stuttered, disinterested.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk." He said, plucking me from my seat with the hand that wasn't on his food tray. We both dumped our trays on the way out, mine a tad messier than his because of the hasty pick-up.

And he dragged me out of the building into the parking lot, and it seemed like all I could see was the shiny silver Volvo that rested in the space three cars down from mine. Much too ostentatious in the parking lot full of old and cheapo cars.

I tried to clear my head, to force myself to be attentive for Ben, but I just felt so lost. Like I had been caged my entire life, then to have someone lead me to freedom, only to run away and leave me alone in the wilderness.

Or on the rainy, dreary, cold streets of Forks in winter.

"Man, what's up? I can't stand to see you like this! You see the girl once, and you decide you're in love with her? She ran away from you!"

I was instantly surprised at his remark; I hadn't let on to anyone that I was in love with Bella, even myself. I just wanted to get to know her. And that was all. "What makes you think that? I just want to get to know her; she seemed like an intriguing person."

Ben sighed heavily; definitely over dramatized, before continuing. "You whisper her name about a million times every time you space out. I can tell when someone's love struck. I'm not blind."

'Then why don't you know about Angela?' I wanted to say. I wanted to make a snide comment that would knock him off of his feet and leave him speechless; reeling with no decent retort.

But I couldn't do that to Ben. I also couldn't break a promise to Angela, one of the few nice girls at the school, anymore than I could break a promise to myself. So, anticlimactically, I shrugged. "I don't know how the human subconscious works. Besides, since when are you a shrink?"

Ben rolled his eyes at me, which he thought I didn't catch. "Stop denying it, dude. You know it's the truth."

I glared at him, but my glare was interrupted by a very fancy Austin Martin pulling up, and a very beautiful brunette stepping out of it, dressed in a very conservative green turtleneck and matching sweatpants, though it was getting a lot warmer since it was near the middle of March.

My memories hadn't done her face justice.


	8. Persistance, or Stupidity?

**A/N: Um... I don't really know what to say about this one. I guess thanks for the reviews and stuff... and I got 1000 hits on it. Woo... *throws confetti***

**Well, anyways, enjoy. Sorry about my lack of enthusiasm.**

**BPOV**

* * *

I opened the car door, looking down once again to make sure that the outfit would be Alice-approvable while still being conservative and hiding all of my accursed curves. I didn't want to get asked out, because I was not good at handling awkward situations, but I also didn't want to get killed by my littlest sister. That wouldn't be very helpful to my plan.

However, when I stepped out of the car, I did not expect to see _his_ face staring me right in the butterscotch eyes.

Did I go with persistence and stupidity, or play it safe? Though I knew myself much better, I had hoped I would be smart enough to choose the second. When I forced my feet to move again and noticed the path that they were taking, all hope of that disappeared.

I sighed; I could force myself to do this, despite what Alice had said. I tensed as the wind blew his scent towards me, and I took one last breath, barely able to hold onto my sanity as the flames ripped down my throat. I forced my emotion to remain smooth and bored-looking, but I was afraid that if I tried to take another step, it would distract my concentration just enough for me to slip. Luckily, it was in the middle of a period, and no one was around to see but the boy Edward and his friend. I didn't have to act completely human; it might even be best if Edward was scared of me. I could only hope that he didn't have any classes with me.

I had had a lot of time to think of this, so why was it taking so long? And why were they both just staring at me, open-mouthed? Why didn't they go back to talking or scurrying away, or whatever else it was? Had rumors gotten around about me? Crap; Alice should have warned me. Then I would have been more careful with my approach. Oh well, might as well just get it over with.

I forced my foot to move, and even though I wasn't breathing, the scent flared up stronger with every step. I tried to ignore it, but wasn't sure how I was going to talk to him without eating him, or at least showing my acidity and disgust in my face. That could be fixable, however. The first… I couldn't stand to think of the possibilities.

Finally, I stopped in front of him, and decided to glare at him instead of being friendly. I was, after all, trying to scare him away. "What are you two staring at?" It wasn't hard to pretend I was disgusted, with his scent burning a hole in me. Hatred was hatred, regardless of whether or not it was at him.

He shook his head, and began to look at me with…awe? No fear was evident in his eyes, and I could feel my guard slip a bit. But, unlike what I would have expected, the scent was actually easier to ignore; like with every other human's scent, which just goes away when you don't think about it. So what was occupying my mind that was pushing his delectable scent to the side? Curiosity, of course.

"Oh, um… hi, Bella." He said timidly, no doubt embarrassed. His friend took a step back. Apparently, he actually had a sense of self-preservation. Kudos to him, and thank God for that; I didn't need him to make this any harder than it already was.

"How do you know my name?" My brow furrowed in frustration; his actions and emotions were not that of a normal human.

"Oh…" He blushed at my words, looking down hesitantly. I wish he hadn't; I needed to see into his eyes. To try and understand what was going on inside his head. I wondered where this was coming from; I had only said a few words to him, and already, I felt like I had known him for years. It was the fact that I couldn't get his face out of my head; that I had spent a week plus just thinking about what the encounter with this normal boy had done to change my life. It was then that his words interrupted my thoughts and I remembered that he was in the middle of a sentence. I glared intently at what little I could see of his face.

"Well… I heard… um, Rosalie, was it? Well, I heard her say your name." He paused for a moment, then eagerly added, just a little too quickly to be casual, "And the entire school's been talking about you and your family. In a town as small as Forks, you don't need to have such an… uh, dramatic event to have the entire student body know your name."

I sighed; I should have figured as much. But there was something in his voice… it was a bit shaky. Was he lying? But why would he? And why was he embarrassed? I could only wonder. And what I wouldn't give for just one look into his head.

"Uh… why did you bolt like that, if you don't mind me asking?" He said timidly, looking up again. I caught a glimpse of something there, which I tried to identify, but couldn't. I had never seen a human look at me that way before. And why on earth was he so at-ease? What was with this kid and his complete lack of self-preservation?

I sighed, both at his question and at the fact that he was here, smelled so good, and I was letting my guard down. And he was making no move to get away. At all. "Stomach flu." I replied simply, imagining how many times I would have to give the answer. I was dreading it already.

The boy made a face, and I saw his friend deliberating whether or not to leave out of the corner of my eye. I turned to him with pleading eyes and mouthed 'Please stay." He sighed, but made no move to leave, just standing there uncomfortably. I felt sorry for him, but I'd be leaving soon, anyways.

"Listen, I have to go get my schedule. Bye." I turned and left, thankful for the clean air that the movement brought to my mouth, and surprised. Both at how tasteless the air was, and how little it seemed to make a difference. Was Carlisle right, after all? Did I really have some sort of monster self-control as my power? It would be fitting, considering how my life had gone. And my death, followed by the rest of my existence.

I could hear him take a deep breath and say something, so I cut him off. He was no doubt going to try and tell me his name, and I didn't want that. As they say, "Once you name something, you can't get rid of it." And I didn't want that, because he wasn't going to turn into the little pet who gets killed because the little kid won't listen to mommy. "And by the way, stay away from me." I called over my shoulder.

I could tell he was puzzled by my words, but I meant them. He was nobody to me, other than dinner. And I couldn't have that, so I needed him to stay away.

I cracked the door open, and it creaked noisily, but the secretary didn't seem to notice. She had her glasses on and was flipping intently through a stack of papers, so either she was far too distracted, or the creak was softer than I thought.

I walked up to the desk silently, and stood there for a moment. She didn't look up right away, so I did my best to smile, and rapped my fingers on the desk softly before speaking. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Bella Cullen, here to pick up my schedule."

She looked up, startled, then quickly relaxed. No doubt already having seen the rest of my family had prepared her for my arrival. There were some disadvantages to being what we were. Like my inability to act clumsy, even if I tried. I would have given anything for a chance like that when I was human, but it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

"Oh! Hello, Bella. Any reason in particular why you're a week later at starting than your siblings?" She asked, seemingly afraid that I was going to be a trouble-maker. I wanted to laugh at the thought. She was more right than the thought.

I actually did laugh a little, and shook my head. "Don't worry. It's not like that. I just got a little sick. I have a note from Carlisle, if you want to see it. It's parental acknowledgement, and a doctor's note." I was surprised at how easy the words flowed; there was something about that Edward, I imagined. Talking to him had put me at ease, but it would be a one-time thing, I promised myself.

The receptionist chuckled a little, then held out her hand. "I'd like to see that, actually." I pulled a crumpled-up piece of paper from my pocket and handed it to her, and she entered a few things into the computer before handing it back to me. "Thanks. I'll find your schedule. I think I put it over here somewhere." She said, and began to shuffle through some papers. I'd have to find Alice afterwards. I could only hope that she had held up her end of the deal. I didn't think she had any reason not to, but you just never knew with Alice. She could have decided that her visions were more than enough security, but that was unlikely. She didn't hold them in very high regard; she knew that they were flawed, but she seemed to be the only one to accept it as a fact. Not that she would shortstop herself in any other category.

I looked around for a clock, and soon spotted one. It was about 12:30; Alice and the rest of my siblings should be at lunch. Along with the rest of the school. They should be easy to find.

"Ah, here it is." She said at last, pulling out a packet of papers. And handing it to me. "This is your schedule, a map of the school, a few sheets I need your parents to sign for record purposes, and a sheet you need all of your teachers to sign to make sure that you're on the roster." She smiled weakly and let out an exhausted sigh, and I tried not to act impatient.

"What period is it?" I asked, though I already had a pretty good idea.

She glanced at the clock, and then turned back and replied, "Everyone should be at lunch right about now." She turned back to her work, and when I had my hand on the door, her voice stopped me. "And by the way, you'll need to bring those sheets back to me at the end of the day. My name's Mrs. Cope, if you were wondering."

Really, I wasn't, because she had a rather large nameplate on her desk that was being used as a paperweight at the time. But I just smiled and mumbled a goodbye, eager to be out of the office.

"Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, why did you show up so late in the day?" She was trying to hide the gossiping teenager-like curiosity, but wasn't doing such a good job at it.

"I wasn't feeling so good this morning, but I never wound up throwing up. I ate a little breakfast and kept it down, and we decided that I didn't need to miss anymore schoolwork. So Esme drove me down here."

Mrs. Cope merely nodded at my seemingly-normal report, dismissing the subject. Obviously, she was expecting something a bit more scandalous or mischievous. Oh well, I seemed to disappoint rather often.

I was about to turn to the Cafeteria, but Alice popped up out of nowhere in front of me. I sighed; good old Alice. It brought a slight smile to my face, however. Which was pretty good for a day at school, in which I rarely ever smiled. "Hey, sis. You got it?"

"Would I really let you down like that? You should know me well enough to know that I never disappoint." She smiled and handed me a neat piece of paper, which I ruffled a bit when I snatched it. Alice made a face at me, but I just smiled sarcastically.

I took out my schedule, and stared to compare it to Edward's, which I still don't want to know how she got a hold of. I didn't know why I was bothering, considering that Alice wasn't worried, but when I got to the bottom, next-to-last period, I froze.

Alice looked confused, and immediately asked "What's wrong?" She closed her eyes and looked into the future, because it wasn't dramatic enough to just look at the paper, probably. Then, her eyes flew open and she looked at me, terrified. "They changed the schedule."


	9. Dreams

**A/N: This is just so much fun to write; it should be illegal. XD Anyways, sorry it's been so long since my last update. So, to make up for it, I have two brand spanking new, completely finished chapters for you. At the same time. *le gasp* OMG!**

**Anyways, the next two chapters are really just a little look inside Edward and Bella's heads. I'm starting to think that they're completely different people, but I'm trying to retain as much of their personalities as possible. SORRY! *puts on cheesewheel helmet and hides under a table***

**EPOV**

* * *

I watched her all day, both disappointed and confused by her words. Yet, really, I was all the more intrigued and determined.

She had seemed like she was having a good time while we were talking; she looked so much more natural than when the others had talked to me, who had all just stood stiff and disinterested, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. And making no move at subtlety in the process.

I had thought that she was different, nicer… that she liked me, even. As a friend, of course, nothing more. She continued to defy all expectations I ever would have had. But still, her face had looked almost amused when she told me to stay away. As if I was missing some kind of joke in her words. I had wondered over and over what it meant; what was so amusing to her.

Was that her hobby; breaking boy's hearts? I would have expected that to be more of the blonde's thing, but I supposed that anything was possible. She did seem to be the only one who wasn't clearly dating one of her adopted siblings, and she had carried the air of a loner that one day on her way in, almost as if she was just along for the ride.

I shook my head out; that couldn't be it. She hadn't even led me on, merely got straight to avoiding me. But was that a part of her game? Or did she have a reason behind it?

Maybe she thought that I had a crush on her; it would make sense. I would have imagined it the same way if I had seen someone gaping at me as I'm sure I was. Did she not want to lead me on? Maybe she wasn't into dating, or maybe she had left someone behind in Philadelphia.

And then a third option popped into my head; an impossibility. I couldn't explain her actions, but there was one emotion I knew of that seemed to be unexplainable. What if she was in love with me? What if she was too shy to tell me… Or if it was a test? They say that if you love something enough, to let it go and it will come back to you if it really loves you. Was that what she was testing? Already, after one conversation?

Regardless of how impossible it was, it was still an option. And, if that were the case, what kind of signal did I want to send? If she loved me, I was fairly sure that it would be love or nothing. I wasn't sure if friendship was attainable under such conditions.

But I could try, couldn't I?

What could it possibly hurt to try?

And I pictured Bella sobbing on the floor, heartbroken. I was surprised at how weak and human she looked, surprised that my imagination could picture such a gorgeous creature in such an unflattering manner, surprised that my conscious could stand it.

And I could have sworn that I felt a tear fall down my cheek, but I'm sure I just imagined it. I didn't cry; I hadn't been raised to cry. After you've been through all I've been through, you're calloused beyond belief, and nothing can make you cry. You forget how to cry. And there I went, imagining things.

But I was sure of one thing; Bella could still cry. She could still have her heart broken, and I wouldn't be the one to do it. If anyone ever broke her heart, I would get back at them, I knew it.

Would I love her back if I had to? If there was no other choice? I couldn't tell. I wasn't sure, but I knew that I would have to do something. I could carefully walk the line.

I had completely forgotten that I was considering a near-impossibility, as my mind worked on, thinking of ways to make it work. I wasn't considering the other options at all, and I knew it.

Why? There were so many other scenarios to hope for, to plan for. One of my first ones was probably right; that she thought I was crushing on her, like every other drooling boy in the school, spare a few. Thankfully, Ben was one of them. I didn't think I could put up with him constantly dribbling about Bella and how "hot" she was. Not because I loved her, but because I didn't. And I knew that he didn't love her either. I knew that, deep down, he loved someone else. Someone who I had made a promise to, someone who loved him more than she let on. But I could tell; I knew when someone was in love, more than Ben claimed to. I didn't even think Ben knew himself, and I would do anything to let him know of his quiet affection, but a promise was a promise.

And I smiled as I realized that I had another promise to keep, and that I was going to, no matter what.

"Mr. Edward Masen!" I was suddenly knocked out of my drifting by a screaming voice.

"Huh? Hmm?" I asked, looking around. The one who was yelling was Mr. Banner, my scrawny, now red-faced, Biology teacher.

"Do you have an answer to the question or not?" He asked, tapping his foot impatiently. I glanced at the board and made a quick guess as to what he may have been asking.

"The… Prophase?" I replied, skeptically. I tried not to sound too questioning, but it didn't work. I could hear Mike laughing in the seat in front of me.

I was not, however, expecting Mr. Banner's reaction. He merely glared at me, then turned around and continued to draw pictures on the board with his chalk, drabbling on about something I was too detached to pay attention to.

Instead, I leaned forward to whisper in Mike's ear. "Who's laughing now?"

He stuck his tongue out, but seemed fairly good natured. He wasn't like most people, who would have taken my words offensively or treated me like some sort of psychopath, which was one of the few things I liked about him.

After that, I went back to thinking about Bella and the possible scenarios, trying to keep my mind away from the one I had been intently considering earlier, sure that it was almost an impossibility. Mr. Banner didn't call on me again, probably too embarrassed.

I vaguely heard the door in the back of the class creak open over my thoughts, but paid it no mind. I didn't hear any footsteps at all, but suddenly I heard a voice coming from the front of the class that wasn't Mr. Banner's.

I didn't want to open my eyes, because I knew what I would see. And I wasn't ready yet.


	10. Karma

**A/N: Here's the second one; enjoy and please review! I was jumping in my seat when I wrote the end of this, I swear. I'm surprised I didn't wee my pants. XD**

**And I'm still looking for suggestions for what should happen next. I know that you guys probably wouldn't mind if it had no plot, but I would. So, plotness! Please! Otherwise I'll just write whatever random junk comes to my mind, and I'll probably never finish it. **_(Ha! I'm like a little psychic.)_

**BPOV**

* * *

I was hesitating at the door, considering just hiding in my car until Gym. I could forge a signature and take care of it; I was undoubtedly already on the roster. Alice could help make sure of that; she really, truly didn't want to move. Not from someplace so nearly perfect. Not even if we could move into a town with an actual mall, she wanted to stay. To finally have a chance to finish high school for the first time in quite a while, thanks to various factors.

Especially while we were new and skepticism was fresh.

I sighed, placing my hand on the doorknob and bracing myself for the impact of _his_ scent. I knew that I could never be fully prepared, but I could handle it. This was my only class with him; I could stay drastically away from him the rest of the time. I couldn't let him affect my life like this; I was going to have a nice, semi-normal life. And there was nothing that this tasty-smelling boy could do to stop me.

I took one deep breath and refused to breathe, opening the door. It creaked open even worse than the door at the office had, and I rolled my eyes. Like my arrival needed to be announced in such a small school.

I walked past him, who had his eyes closed and was leaning back in his chair, but not in a sleepy kind of way. He looked as if he was concentrating hard.

I tried not to think about him, but couldn't force his peaceful face out of my mind. I just decided to try and replace the smell that was sure to overwhelm me as soon as I opened my mouth to speak with the picture. Maybe it would do me some good, thinking of him as an innocent little squirrel who I never considered hunting, even when my eyes were pitch-black.

I stopped in front of the teacher and braced myself, opening my mouth to say, "Hi. I'm Bella Cullen. I'm sorry I'm a few days late. I got sick."

I was right; it was every bit as bad as I'd been bracing myself for. And worse. I'm surprised that the scrawny little biology teacher made it out without a single scratch. With immense effort and all of my control, I managed to shut off my breathing and stay locked in place without my expression changing. I think I felt my eye twitch, but that wasn't too odd of a motion; the human mind registered it as a blink unless they were concentrating.

"Oh! Bella, it's nice to see you're feeling better."

I handed him the paper he had to sign, cutting him off. "I need you to sign this." Again, I almost lost it, wishing desperately that I had a stress ball or something else to keep myself from being so stiff. But I'd probably just crush it anyways, regardless of what it was.

He quickly signed it and muttered a few things about a book and "easy A's," then said the one thing that I do remember perfectly. "We only have one seat open, next to Edward over there." He pointed to an open seat, and I chuckled slightly under my breath.

Edward… did anyone really go by that anymore? I thought all of them were either called Ed or Eddie, for the most part. Nice to see some traditionalism for a change.

"So he'll also be your partner for labs." He said, and I merely nodded. I was still trying to focus on not going crazy as the thirst flared up in my throat.

I turned around as casually as I could, still not breathing, and froze when I saw who the only open seat was next to.

It was _him_. Still leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, but his face was no longer peaceful, but stressed and tense, like he was bracing for something. Was he asleep after all? And having a nightmare?

I shook my head and finished walking the small distance, sitting down in my seat and sitting as far away from _him_ as was possible in the confined desk space. My worry was senseless; I was his biggest danger, not some nightmare.

I sat there for what felt like an endless eternity, trying to look like I was breathing while I held my breath the entire time. The rest of my energy was completely focused on not breathing and not killing either Edward or the desk.

Mr. Banner asked me a few questions, always skeptical when my voice replied, unwavering as ever, and gave up after a few tries to catch me off-guard. And the entire class, I could swear that Edward never moved an inch. I would have thought he were a vampire, were it not for his unbelievably, undeniably succulent scent.

At the end of the class, the bell rang, and I was struggling to move at a sluggish human pace. I needed to get a breath of clean, tasteless air, but the humans had already seen me running, and, according to Edward at least, everyone had their minds on me. Despite the fact that he looked like he was lying-my mind flashed back to that conversation; our first and last, as I would be sure of-he had no reason to, so I took it slowly, ready to be free of the confines of the accursed classroom and probably moving a bit too quickly.

Soon, however, I felt something catch on my sleeve. I could have easily walked on, but didn't feel like ripping my shirt, especially with the Alice-related issues and staring that were sure to follow. So I turned around, expecting a bookcase or something. But definitely not _him_. I guessed I should just give up; as long as I was in Forks, everything was always going to have to do with _him_. I guess my Karma was finally catching up with me.

"I don't have a crush on you, you know. If that's why you're avoiding me." I was taken aback; were all humans this forward? I guess I really didn't know all that many.

"Oh… um…" I stammered, struggling to think of something, _anything_ to say.

"But if you do, I have no problem with that. I mean, I don't really return the favor, but we can still be friends, right?"

Oh. So that was what this was about. Alice had told me that he was desperate… but that wasn't the right word. He wasn't shy or desperate, just… straightforward. Determined. Still, it wouldn't make any difference. "…No. I don't think we can." Again, it surprised me how I was able to ignore the thirst. Minutes ago, it had almost been killing me. But now… it wasn't gone, but… weak. Deadened. Like every other human smelled, as if he was no one special and there actually was a possibility that we could be friends. But I knew better than that. We couldn't. And I felt kind of sorry for him; chasing an unattainable goal, that, were he to attain it, would prove to be an utter waste of time.

"Listen, if you see it like that, I guess we could try…" He started, unsure, but I stopped him. Such absurdities were senseless and shouldn't even be thought about, they were so ridiculous.

"No. Okay, I don't have a crush on you. I barely even know you. I've talked to you all of one times, and I don't have any feeling for you whatsoever. Not even as a friend." I paused, once again feeling sorry for him. I was being mean, but I knew that I had to. He was lucky that I was the one who he smelled good to. Not another… less civilized vampire. Even most of my brothers and sisters would spell his end if he smelled like this to one of them.

He's lucky, I tried to tell myself, but I couldn't believe it. Some part of me wanted to make it work, just because of all of the effort he was going through and the fact that he was so clueless and innocent. And because he seemed nice, for a human.

"It just won't work out, okay?" I could tell that he had questions, but I didn't give him time to ask any. I ran out the door, too fast for a human but still visible, clutching my books. If I had any tears, then I swear I would have been crying.

It couldn't work. It never would. And he was just another, unimportant human. So why did he matter so much to me?

Because the rest of eternity hinged on the decisions and responses I made. This wasn't just another day in eternity. For once, I actually had a challenge, something to distinguish between one day and the next. Something to remember.

And no matter what I chose, I knew that there was no longer any path that I could choose that wouldn't affect my existence forever.


	11. Sweet Juliette

**A/N: ...Wow, it's been a while. Sorry guys, but I've been busy. Turns out I finished this **_(chapter)_** a while ago, I just didn't think I had... heh heh... SORRY DON'T KILL ME!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy. We're finally getting to the part that you guys've been pestering me for. I'd say just another two or three chapters...**

**And I'll try to update more. Sorry about that. ^^;**

**EPOV**

* * *

Well, I didn't really know what to think anymore. Everything I had thought about her, hoped about her, was wrong. I would never be anything to her, just another drooling boy.

In the end, I couldn't help but feel that this was all somehow my fault. I was being too direct; she was obviously shy… but that wasn't it. She didn't just dislike me, she _hated_ me. I could see it in her eyes, and there was no denying that. It was so obvious a blind man could've seen it… But what did _I_ do to make _her_ mad?

I'd been nice to her, I'd believed against all the rumors that were shot around about her, and I'd even fought against them. Maybe she was just a loner. Maybe she just hated the world and was just taking it all out on me because I was there… But was that really the case?

I banged my head on the desk for the billionth time, only vaguely hearing the Spanish words flying through the air around me. I just didn't know what to think anymore. I knew that I should just give up; I had plenty of friends already, and it didn't matter if I broke one little promise that nobody ever even knew about.

But I was too stubborn to give up, I knew that… Still, how long could that last? How long until I was willing to admit that I was wrong and that the Cullens were freaks? Something told me that it would be a long time.

But yet, even I had to give up eventually, didn't I? Didn't I?

I just sat thoughtlessly for what felt like hours, staring blankly at the blackboard, as if the answer would just appear there.

Soon, Senora Goff was writing a few words across the board, right in front of my line of vision. I read them absentmindedly to myself, and one in particular caught my eye. _Amor_… The word that had been haunting me all day. It just seemed to mean something more in Spanish. Was it some kind of sign from the heavens? Or was I just going crazy? Probably the later, but I couldn't help but wonder.

The words love and crush seemed to be following me. First Ben, then Bella… sort of, then myself, and now even Senora Goff. Was Ben right after all? Was I really falling in love with Bella? It seemed so crazy, and yet… impossible.

I shook my head out; it didn't matter. I could never make it work, anyways. She hated my guts, or at least that was how it so often seemed. Did she? Or was she merely masking an impossible crush, as I had first feared? Regardless, I had no chance, and nothing I did could change that.

The bell suddenly rang, interrupting both my thoughts and Senora's lecture. I gathered my things and walked over to Ben. I needed to talk to him.

"Hey, Ben." I said meekly, trying to look detached. It wasn't that hard, considering how detached I really was.

"Oh, so you're back to talking to me again, are you?" He asked, as if he was insulted. Just because I hadn't talked to him before class? Or was this about today at lunch?

"Listen, Ben. Did you really mean what you said this morning about you being able to tell if someone was lovestruck?" Apparently, he was not expecting me to admit the possibility, because he was awestruck.

"Um… Yeah. Why, have you decided to accept the facts?"

I paused, staring at the wall for a while before I answered. "I don't really know."

Ben looked at me like I was some sort of freak, which I guess I could be classified as, before he answered. "You're so cryptic sometimes, you know?"

A faint hint of a smile touched my lips. Everyone always joked about how old I acted, and the kind of cryptic statements that I had a tendency to make. Ben often called me "Shakespeare in disguise." I suppose it was fitting, other than the fact that I didn't much like a lot of Shakespeare's work. The characters were all wretched, horrible people intent on destroying the shreds of happiness that were left over after the treacheries of other's.

I would never be like Romeo, for sure. I couldn't hurt anyone like that, especially in the end. Not even checking to see if she was dead before he killed himself… wasting two lives over nothing. How pitiful.

Never, in all of eternity, would I hurt Bella. Nor would I ever let anyone or anything else harm the poor, shy girl that I was theoretically in love with.


	12. Volvo

**A/N: Hey, guys! 'Nother chapter! Already! Oh, and Hollibell, BTW, when I said "I finished this a while ago," That meant the chapter, not the whole story. Sorry; I wish.**

**And yes, I'm breaking the trend! I thought that it would be more appropriate to have two Edward chapters in a row, since I didn't know what I would say for Bella. But now I have a good setup for the next chapter, which should hopefully be much longer. Thanks; enjoy. ^^**

**EPOV**

* * *

I couldn't believe what I was doing; where I was standing. How on earth had I worked up the nerve to do this? She was going to think I was a stalker or that I really did have a crush on her or something. It was possible, but I had merely decided to like her the exact same way that she liked me; once she started liking me at all, that is.

But this was putting all of that in jeopardy; what kind of an idiot was I? She wasn't there yet; I could still walk away. Even if she saw me, she'd probably think I was just passing by. Hopefully.

But it didn't matter, because I couldn't will my feet to move. They remained locked in place, like they were glued to the ground. They'd better move eventually; I wasn't sure how deterring the thought of running me over was to her. I wouldn't put it past her.

Yet, even as I saw the first glimpses of her family walking towards me, talking amongst themselves, I couldn't move. Either I was too nervous, I was suddenly paralyzed for no good reason, or I was just being stubborn again.

I glanced at the group, approaching ever-so-quickly. The last; if I was paralyzed, I'd find a way to get away, even if it meant walking on my tongue. That big guy in the grade above us was scary. I closed my eyes and braced for whatever was about to hit. I knew that something was, though I wasn't sure what. Or even if it was physical or just more verbal bashing.

I couldn't hear any footsteps, but the air around me was suddenly tense. I could tell that they had seen me and stopped. I braved a peek through one of my eyes, but quickly closed it. They were all glowering at me, and Bella was a few feet behind the others, wrinkling her nose. Did I smell bad? I sniffed the air. All I could smell was flowers.

The pixie-girl and the blond-haired boy were closest to her, the pixie standing protectively in front of them both and the blond-haired boy glaring at me harder than all the rest, shaking slightly. He looked like every muscle in his body was locked up.

Some sort of ripping noise was slipping out of the blonde's throat, almost animal-like. I shuddered at the sound, now trying to keep my feet from running away. I gulped down my screams and smiled as realistically as I could, trying to look natural.

"Um… Hey."

They didn't bother with formalities.

"What are you doing here, Edward?" Bella sneered, glaring at me. Maybe she really did hate me and I should just give up; the look on her face was vicious. If only I was smart enough to do what I knew I should. But no, I was far too stubborn to even consider giving up.

"Um… I just thought I'd stop by and say hi. Ask if you needed any help in biology since you're new and all…"

More glares from the lot of them. Again, Bella spoke. "In case I didn't make it clear to you, we're not friends. And I have no intentions of changing that. Ever." More glaring, especially from Bella. And the blonde, whom I was starting to think was either slightly depressed or had some kind of mental problem.

"Sorry to bug you." I couldn't help the sarcasm leaking into my voice. Looks like even I was going to be hindering my chances at friendship… or… more with Bella.

No one said anyone else, they just continued to glare at me. After a while, I adjusted my book bag's position and turned around to walk away, trying to hold in the tears that were for some reason trying to spill over my eyes, threatening to turn me into a blubbering heap on the floor. Somehow, I managed to keep them all in.

After I took the first few steps away, I felt the atmosphere around me lighten slightly and heard a sigh of relief. Followed by a noise that sounded vaguely like sobbing and a few whispered words. "I'm sorry."

I wanted to turn back around and look, but I didn't. I had a feeling that it wouldn't help any. So, though it took all of my strength, I kept walking towards my waiting black truck.


	13. Why do I bother?

**A/N: Okay... I know it's been a while... Please don't kill me. *cowers under desk* The last part is... kinda rushed, because I really need feedback on this. REALLY. I forgot exactly what I was going to do, but I think I made a pretty good cover-up for now... I really need to get to the Edward-and-Bella action soon, don't I?**

**Anyways. The real reason I was in such a rush: I need feedback. I'm applying for this writing camp thing, and I want to use a chapter or two from this story. So; which ones were you guys' favorites? I'm looking for somewhere in the range of one to three chapters, preferably ones that could kinda stand on their own. And some from each point of view. I'm trying to give a little variety.**

**If you guys can get that done quickly, I may even be able to work around my super-busy schedule and get another chapter up in the next couple of days. I'm sorry; it was a squeeze getting this one up, and now I'm up waaaay later than I should be. UGH! Well, please enjoy. I hope it doesn't suck too bad.**

**EDIT: After looking over the comments, I'd like to thank everybody for being so awesome while I was on my super-long hiatus. Plus, props to yayme20102 for saying some of my favorite words; lack of cliché. ;P Yay for you. You get mentioned.**

**BPOV**

* * *

As soon as he turned around, I instantly felt sorry for him. I didn't understand the inner workings of my mind, nor had I ever pretended to. Again, I tried to tell myself that I was saving his life and that he just needed to stay away, and he was being an idiot for ignoring his instincts and my own warnings. Who would pursue a dare this far?

Unless… unless it wasn't a dare. Maybe he just felt sorry for us, and he wanted to give us a shot at normalcy. The one thing I so often wished for. He was only being human, and he had no reason to be otherwise. I opened my mouth to tell him it was okay, that we could try this "friends" thing, but once I had done so, it only took a small fraction of a moment for the horrible reality of his humanity to catch back up with me. I couldn't make this work, no matter how hard I tried. So instead, sure that he could hear me, I muttered "I'm sorry."

And, without another breath, I turned to the car where my siblings were already waiting. And I was sure that, had I the ability, I would be in tears. I couldn't make it work, and I had to choose between two kinds of hurting him. The one I had to choose was obvious, but I didn't know how long I could keep my curiosity at bay.

But that was the problem; if I couldn't curb my curiosity, there was no chance that I could curb my thirst for long enough to indulge the former.

_**xxx**_

I showed up at school the next day, dreading the thought of Biology through all of my boring classes, until Lunch period hit. I didn't go to the cafeteria, and instead went to speak to Mrs. Cope, and hand in my things. I had been to all my classes, been on the roster in them all, and now I needed to talk about getting myself off of the roster of one of them.

I took a deep breath before I entered the small office, and then I shoved open the door, which jingled a little on top of the creak as it entered. I hadn't noticed it yesterday… I laughed once without humor. Mrs. Cope probably didn't want to be startled by any more students after myself.

This time, she was already watching me as I entered the door, books in hand. "Hello, Bella."

"Hello." I said quietly in response, handing her the packet over her cluttered desk. "I went online to look at a few things, and noticed that you changed my biology class right before I arrived. Why?"

"Oh, I believe it was full. Mr. Banner likes to keep the classes small, so he asked if you could be transferred into a new class, since you were a few days late. Why? Is that a problem?"

"It's a bit far away from the rest of my classes. Do you think I could switch to another science class? Maybe at a different time? Or with a different teacher?" I had spent a while thinking up a good reason to switch. And trust me, it took a while to find one that made enough sense to ask for a switch that wouldn't be instantly dismissed as teenage ridiculousness.

"Oh… well, hold on." Mrs. Cope then proceeded to flip through several folders and look at a lot of different schedules and role sheets. "Gym? Or lunch?" She finally asked, her brows furrowed.

"I'm a slow walker." I was having trouble not laughing at the idea, especially after my fleeing a couple days ago, but I managed to focus on why I was there and keep a straight face. "I was kind of hoping to be switched to a more advanced class, anyways. I've already covered the material up in Canada."

Mrs. Cope shook her head. "I'll see what I can do…" she muttered, flipping through several more thick folders full of rosters and records. "But I don't know how much shuffling it would take to make it work."

I bit my lip at this. What if I got more classes with Edward? Far from fixing my problems; that delved into levels of ridiculous known in literature as fate. In reality, irony and karma were much better terms for it. And karma, unlike fate, has no reason to be kind to a vampire. "Well… why don't you see what you can manage, and I'll look it over?"

She bit her lip in return. "I really don't know, Bella… I have a lot of work…"

Carefully, I lowered my head into what many would call a puppy dog face. With my vampire features, I hoped I would look irrefutable to humans.

Mrs. Cope sighed. "Bella, I'm really busy in here. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to go around reshuffling schedules all day. There's really nothing I can do."

I looked out the window to the rainy parking lot. Without entirely realizing it, I began to reply. "Okay, Mrs. Cope. Thanks anyways. I've guess got to get going to Biology, then." And with that, I was gone.

What was I doing? I was screaming at myself inside my head, but my rationality had been taken over by a combination of impossibility and curiosity. I was the first one in the Biology class, trying to prepare myself by breathing in as much as the clean air as possible and pretending to breath without really doing so. Then I flipped my book open absently and started to skim over the lines. Of course, I had long since learned all of it, but it gave me something to do instead of stare back at the door in paranoia every five seconds as students slowly entered the classroom, then Mr. Banner himself.

Of course, I could hear the chair beside me screeching as it scraped against the floor, then screech back into place, with weight added to it. I shuffled my own chair over to the far side of my desk, and didn't allow myself a breath, not even a small amount of air.

It was an easy task, however. I needed no air, and no relief came with the motion. It felt a bit odd, but I had been doing it so much the past few days that it would make no difference. I could feel his tension without having to look, and I kept my eyes firmly on the words in front of me. Better to just pretend I hadn't noticed him.

It was a bit hard to remind myself to look like I was breathing, but I managed to stay calm until Mr. Banner announced that we would be having a lab. _Oh, great…_

With a great amount of caution, I turned to Edward and gave him the most scathing glare I could. I needed to make sure he knew that we just couldn't make it work. However, as Mr. Banner went on about explaining the lab and passed out a sheet for us to record our answers, I felt my curiosity seeping through the cracks in my mask. I still hadn't taken a breath, and I was struggling not to. I knew that he would want to talk, based on what I had seen of him.

I glanced into the microscope, quickly muttered "prophase," and then shoved it across the desks to him, not taking a breath the entire time. Just from opening my mouth, I could feel the scent trickling in. And instantly, my throat started to burn. It was weak so far, like an awkward sunburn that had somehow managed to form in my throat, but it wouldn't take much longer to erupt into an unbearable hell.

He glanced into it, and passed it back without a word, so I assumed that he was clueless like most everyone around us. The next two went similarly, and then they were all done and recorded. Simply from muttering the three words, my throat was already whining in protest. Everything around me was blocked out by the pain, even though I knew that it could be worse. _I'm concentrating on it too hard…_

I needed to say something, even if it was possible that it would do nothing but make it worse. "So…" the small word, as it trailed off, threatened to do in the rest of my self-control for good. But I focused on my curiosity and pressed on. "Why is it you're so intent on being friends with me?"

He seemed taken aback by the words, especially considering I wasn't even looking at him, but he replied soon enough, stuttering slightly. "Um… well, I just guess… everyone was spreading rumors about you before you even got here, and… well, since I haven't been here that long, I remember how it feels. I thought I'd try and be your first friend, I guess…" I turned to look at him, finally. I could see his eyes get wider; a vampire's face is something you can never really remember through foggy human memories.

"And what if I don't want a friend?" I noticed that I had very little breath left; I had to make good use of what I had left. I wasn't sure what one real breath would do to me.

He looked at me skeptically, as if he had never thought of the idea. "So… you're a loner?"

"You don't know the half of it." I replied, turning away. My lungs were nearly emptied of air, and I needed to save what was rest of my breath for emergencies. I pretended to daydream, trying to ignore the pain and, at the same time, trying to figure out what was up with the boy beside me. It was a good thing he was open.

Still… humans in general made no sense, and he was no different. I had always had trouble understanding the emotions of everyone, and yet he was harder than the rest somehow.

After a while of puzzling, the bell finally rang. Mr. Banner started to shout at the class how to clean up as they all rushed to leave, but I was already gone. I needed to breathe.


	14. Spanish Sitcom

_A/N: And now we've reached the end. This is you guys' bonus chapter! …Yeah, sorry. I know it's not very long. And it… kinda sucks. But it wasn't there before, which makes it special._

_Anyways, this was going to set the tone for the beginning of their relationship (probably would have come into play next chapter, actually ^^;), which would have to happen before I dove into the plot (which I don't really remember, which is, in turn, why I don't plan on finishing it). And it's a nice little bit of fluff before the storm. So yes. Once again, I'd like to apologize for errors and just the general meh-ness of this fic, along with the stumbling at the beginning as I tried to find the character's voices, but I think that it evened out near then end enough that it was an all around fair endeavor._

_If anyone with an idea for an actual plot (not exclusively a mushy-mushy romance fic) would like to adopt what I have written and finish it, then contact me via PM. Just keep in mind that I have the right to say no._

_Hope you guys enjoyed the ride while it was going, sorry that my A/N has defaulted to length again (kinda making the chapter itself look wimpy), but y'know. Lots to say, not a lot of inspiration left for this particular fandom. Adds up to short chapter (written sometime in the past year, I know, a good deal after my Twilight mania had faded) and this lengthy author's note._

**EPOV**

* * *

She was gone quickly, but I made no attempts to stop her. After the meeting the day before and the practically wordless lab, I was surprised that she had spoken to me at all. It was no wonder that, even when we did speak, she still brought up the fact that she didn't want to be friends.

Was that really it? I continued to wonder as I packed up my bag. Maybe if I could catch her alone… with no family, no other students… Or maybe I could get Ben to talk to her. Somehow, she sounded like she was about to burst into tears every time we spoke. None of it made any sense. I had to know why she was saying what she was. What was going on inside her head…

Even though I packed my stuff up slowly and was the last one out the door, I still hadn't figured it out by the time I crossed into the busy hallway. Nor was I any closer to the mystery by the time I was in Spanish. Again, I found my mind wandering. It was halfway through class before I finally realized that Ben was sitting next to me.

"Edward!" He whispered harshly into my ear.

"Huh?" I looked around myself for a minute, disoriented. "What? Oh… sorry, Ben. What did I miss?"

"Are you sure you don't want to see the nurse?" he paused, weighing his words mentally, "…or the counselor?"

I looked at him as if he was crazy. "If I can't figure out my own problems, I highly doubt _she_ can help."

Ben nodded, and flipped open his book. I imagined that I was supposed to be doing the same, and opened it to the same page he did. As I started to robotically copy down notes and answer questions from the book, we started to talk.

"What is it now, Edward? Really, all you've been able to think about is Bella."

I opened my mouth to protest, but decided I didn't care what the world thought anymore. The roles I had imagined us in were reversed, and I needed Ben's help anyways. "I don't get it. I was expecting them to take offense to the rumors and the distance and how everyone looks at them like they're some kind of freaks, but… they like the space."

Ben sighed, and I didn't have to look to know that he was rolling his eyes. "And you find that attractive?"

"I find it interesting." I insisted, "I'm usually good at figuring people out, but… I don't understand her. At all." I sighed, probably a bit too contentedly because Ben was instantly waving his hand in front of my face.

"You want me to talk to her? Or you could get Mike to try, I think they have gym together…"

I looked at him skeptically. "Riiiight, not Mike then." He muttered, and we both sighed. For a few minutes, we were silent except for the scratch of pencil on paper and the repeated sound of us flipping pages in our books, myself more than Ben as I had missed sections of the lesson thanks to my sporadic daydreaming. "She's good at Biology, right?" Ben asked suddenly after the long pause.

"Um… yeah, why?" I asked, thinking back to the lab that day. It had taken her a fraction of a second, when they all looked the same to me. Science had never been my strong suit… After my dad died, I'd lost faith in medicine, and eventually science as a whole.

"Well, maybe I can ask her for help. I don't get any of it, anyways." Ben smiled a bit, his eyebrows raised in expectation.

I smiled for the first time in days at something that wasn't Bella… well, I supposed it was Bella-related, but moreover, it was just at how good of a friend Ben was. Even when I ignored him, he stuck by me. "That'd be great. Thanks a ton."

The rest of Spanish went by with surprising normalcy, Ben and I both laughing and making jokes like normal. Still, deep inside, I couldn't shake the thought of Bella out of my mind. Call it an obsession if you want; but I just needed to know what she was thinking. _(Not the worst note to end on, no?)_


End file.
